Indicator description:

This indicator outlines the percentage of the civilian non-institutionalized population not covered by health insurance. Members serving in the police force, armed services, and those incarcerated are excluded from the measure.

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Why is this indicator relevant?

Basic health care is essential to a community’s overall well-being. Coverage helps an individual obtain timely medical care and improve their life and health. Increased health care costs and loss of insurance make it harder for citizens to continue to participate in the community should a medical emergency arise. Medical bills have been found to contribute to one sixth or more of bankruptcies. The institute of Medicine associated lack of coverage with an estimated 18,000 extra deaths nationwide per year among uninsured adults. Having a percentage of citizens that lack health insurance gives the community quantitative information of its overall well-being. This is a way that we can measure if health in the community is improving or worsening.

Data Sources:

American Community Survey, The Urban Institute Why Health Insurance is Important

What can we tell from the data?

Over the past four years, the number of Albuquerque citizens not covered by health insurance has decreased minimally. In comparison to the United States we are worse, but in comparison to peer cities, we rank second of the percentage of citizens not covered by health insurance.